This invention relates generally to cooking units, and more particularly to cooking units in which the food is not placed directly over the heat source.
Outdoor cookers have traditionally been used to cook meats and vegetables, as well as other foods, over an open flame. Typically this outdoor cooking increases flavor, decreases mess within a home, and provides for a convenient cooking method. The typical arrangement is to place food on a rack over an open flame. However, it has been found that placing the food directly over an open flame can cause the food to cook unevenly, depending on the amount of heat being generated by the heat source at each position in the heat source. In addition, flame-ups occur as a result of juices and fats dripping from the food onto the heat source. These flame-ups may cause burning of the food, a generally undesired aspect of cooking over an open flame. Further, when the food is located in the same container as the heat source, the container cannot typically be sealed as the flame uses air in the burning process. Thus, the food typically will dry out faster than if it were cooked in a sealed container.